Experienced gardeners during their work on the site accumulate invaluable information regarding the cultivation of a particular crop. Simple tips help to improve yields, get fruit of high quality in taste and presentation. For many, the question of preparing a bow for planting does not cause any associations at all. And only noble gardeners understand that we are talking about the fact that it needs to be soaked.
How many ways to process a vegetable in spring are there? We will consider the most basic - what to do so that shoots appear faster, why and how much the procedure is performed at all, how to process and water the seeds in order to protect flies from worms, and whether it is necessary to do treatment with such agents as Fitosporin before sowing.
Do I need to soak onions before planting in spring?
Soaking is not required before planting bulbs, especially if onions are grown commercially.
It is not worth loading yourself with the preparation of the set and in cases of use high-quality planting materialthat has been grown in healthy soil and stored under proper conditions.
Since sevok is mainly purchased on wholesale markets, no one can guarantee that it has a healthy microflora. Therefore, the correct procedure for soaking seeds helps to protect gardeners from unpleasant surprises. This is a loss of yield, and rotting of onions, and contamination of the soil with various diseases and pests.
Before soaking, you must cut the onionto allow the solution to penetrate between the scales and kill pathogens. But you should not get carried away with circumcision, having made a too large cut, the turnip may rot or not release the feather, you can also clean the seeds from the old husk.
When using small planting material, processing is too laborious, therefore it is better to secure your future harvest at the procurement stage.
It is worth giving preference to farms that adhere to cultivation technology, harvest in dry weather, and have special storage facilities. This eliminates spoilage or deterioration of the properties of the onion in winter.
It makes no sense to prepare onions using heat treatment or using various solutions if the purpose of growing is to obtain greens.
Pros and cons of soaking sevka
Among summer residents, the dispute about the effectiveness of preparing onions for planting by soaking does not subside. Everyone should make a decision for himself, and you can base on the advantages and disadvantages of this procedure.
According to the analysis of many years of experience of gardeners, the following are noted pros procedures:
- activation of the growth process of greens and turnips;
- disinfection;
- rotting prevention;
- protecting the soil from pathogenic bacteria that can be transferred with the planting seed.
Disadvantages of soaking concern improper preparation or violation of the temperature regime... The planting material can deteriorate due to improper cutting or non-compliance with the proportions when making the solution. Therefore, before using one of the options, you should study the instructions.
How and what to soak onions before planting
Depending on the solution used, the purpose of treatment changes, some procedures are multifunctional. Each method has its own advantages and features.
Before processing, the planting material must be sorted out. You need to get rid of soft, sluggish and rotting onions.
How to handle in saline
Salt baths are used more often in combination with other procedures. The simplest and most popular way to prepare seedlings for planting involves 2 stages of processing: using saline and potassium permanganate.
The onion is soaked first for 3 hours in a salt bath, which is prepared in the following proportions: in 2 liters of water stir 2 tablespoons ordinary rock (table) salt.
This procedure ensures the rapid growth of the plant, the development of the turnip, and protects against an aggressive soil environment. Salt disinfects onions from nematodes and other pathogens.
In potassium permanganate
Potassium permanganate baths are used after salt soaking or as the main treatment for seedlings.
In a bucket of water, you need to dilute everything 30-35 g of potassium permanganate, mix it thoroughly until the crystals are completely dissolved. After that, immerse the seed in a container and let it settle for a couple of hours.
This method is effective due to the action of potassium permanganate, which copes with many pathogenic bacteria.
Soda solution
Many qualities are attributed to baking soda that it lacks. So, for example, there is an opinion that soda baths help prevent onions from shooting when ripe. This is not true, because the throw of the arrow mainly depends on the conservation conditions of the bow in the winter. Soda cannot influence this process and protect it in any way, and it will shoot after processing.
But with heat treatment, it can be used. To do this, before planting in the garden, the seedlings should be soaked in hot water (no more than 45-50 degrees) with the addition of a small amount of soda (10 l teaspoon). This procedure, lasting 10-15 minutes, provides disinfection of planting material.
How to make birch tar treatment
To process the seedlings before planting, special broad-spectrum preparations are used. An alternative is a natural material - birch tar. He is fine copes with various pests and pathogenic bacteria, in particular with an onion fly.
The use of a birch product is considered environmentally friendly and safe for human health and soil microflora.
Preparation of onions with tar consists of the following steps:
- pre-drying the seedlings on the battery during the day (temperature 37-40 degrees);
- removing the top husk from each turnip;
- trimming the tops;
- soaking in solution for 2-4 hours.
The solution is prepared in proportions: for 1 liter of water taken 1 tablespoon tar. The liquid temperature should be between 18-22 degrees. During the procedure, you will need to mix the contents of the container 2-3 times for better impregnation of the seed.
To prevent the sevok from floating up during the soaking procedure, it is recommended to immerse it in a net and lay a brick or other weighting agent on top. But you should not use too heavy objects, they can crush the onions.
What treatment to do to protect against pests
It is easier to prevent any disease than to deal with problems that have arisen as a result of any disease or pest infestation.
The biggest threat to onions is onion fly... Larvae, worms, laid near plants, can destroy the entire crop. Processing of planting material before sowing will help to avoid such troubles.
Also, a vegetable can be affected by such pests as a bear, wireworm, Colorado potato beetle.
The simplest and surest way involves soaking the seedlings before planting in a tar solution. You can also choose two-stage treatment with salt and manganese composition.
Among the folk remedies, baths with the use of red pepper and liquid laundry soap... Proportions: a bucket of water, a tablespoon of liquid soap, 30 gr. dry red pepper. The duration of the procedure is 1-2 hours.
Watering with specially prepared solutions will help get rid of pests and diseases. Among the effective ways:
- salt liquid (10 liters of water + 3 tbsp. l.);
- tobacco mixture (3 liters of hot water + 200 grams of tobacco dust), matures for 2 days;
- dandelion infusion (10 liters of boiling water + 200 gr. crushed leaves), leave for 3-4 days;
- ammonia (2 tbsp. l.) with water (10 l).
You need to spray the soil carefully so as not to harm the plant. Processing should be done 1-2 times a week... If the methods proved to be powerless, it is recommended to resort to the use of special drugs, for example Fitosporin.
Processing should be carried out in the evening in dry weather. The sun's rays break down chemical compounds, reducing the effectiveness of insect control.
In order to prevent damage to the plant from the invasion of pests, it is recommended to adhere to the following tips:
- before planting, the soil must be enriched with rotted manure or peat;
- for disembarking, do not use spoiled and damaged turnips;
- the landing site should be changed annually;
- form onion beds in close proximity to spicy and highly aromatic herbs, carrots;
- after harvesting, it is necessary to dig deep into the soil.
Whichever method of processing is chosen before planting, do not forget about proper care, on which the yield and quality of onions also depend. Soaking is only an auxiliary method to promote rapid growth and decontamination. There will be no good harvest without timely irrigation and introduction of complementary foods.